Shadow Puppeteer
by Xelaric The Nobody
Summary: Dark Veil is master of theft, getting hired by fellow villains to steal certain objects that are out of their reach. But when our favorite anti-hero crosses her path, will she befriend him, or make him an enemy? The story is better than it sounds! *Rated T for language*
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there! :) This is a brand new story featuring my brand new OC. Enjoy guys :)**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titan, sadly. I do however own my OC and this storyline/plot.**_

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I stared up at the large black and yellow building. In the dim moonlight I could make out the letters, H.I.V.E. I shrugged to myself and snapped my fingers, teleporting into the Academy. I glanced around warily, but no one was around; no guards, no wondering students. All was quiet. I rolled my eyes, _This'll be _way too_ easy._ I teleported the into the laboratory, stopping abruptly as red lasers intersected and overlapped each other in my path.

_Typical, _I scoffed inwardly. I backhand-sprung, flipping over the lasers with a single hand. I landed neatly on my feet. Something behind me shuffled and I glanced over my shoulder. _Probably a mouse or something_, I reasoned with myself. Slowly, I reached for my target.

It was a sleek, obsidian black gun that shot wide red lasers. I was getting paid good money to steal it; not that it was a tough job because I was stealing it from the H.I.V.E Academy.

Oh, I'm sorry, how silly of me for not introducing myself before. I go by Dark Veil, and for those of you who don't know, I am a hired thief. Basically, I get paid to do other people's dirty work. Usually, I'm hired by fellow villains or anti-heroes, and I get paid pretty good money…If I get the target object, that is.

So, with that, I kicked the podium that it was standing on and it fell into my hands with a soft _plop_. I smirked in delight; this was too easy. Those H.I.V.E goons never had the best security.

Behind me, I heard the clink of metal hitting metal. I turned around, my curly black hair bouncing as I turned. Narrowing my eyes against the darkness, I scanned the laboratory behind me. All was quiet and still. _Too_ quiet and still. With that thought, I took a few steps forward, careful not to trigger one of the red lasers. I glanced left and right, trying to find the source of the noise, but there wasn't anyone or anything around.

Shrugging, I snapped my fingers and teleported to the lab's entrance. I glanced over my shoulder again to make sure that no one was behind me again. The door swished open and I walked into the dark hallway. Something creaked from above me, and then I felt the rush of air as something or _someone _dropped from the vents above.

With my free hand, I swung out my arm in the direction of his shadow. I clenched my fingers into a tight fist and tossed his shadow over my head and I dashed forward. I heard him crash to the ground, but I didn't dare look back. Something wrapped around my legs, and I fell forward on my face. The laser gun flew from my hands, sliding down the dark hallway.

The figure leaped over my head, racing for the laser gun. I clenched my fist again, psychically grabbing his shadow once again. I held onto it, keeping the figure stationery, while I got myself out of the trap. I glanced at it as it fell from my legs; it looked like zig-zagged red rope. I shrugged at ran ahead, tossing the figure to the side. I heard him grunt as I ran past him. The laser gun came into sight and I scooped it up. A smirk twitched across my face; that'll show that punk.

"I wouldn't go anywhere with that if I were you," came the voice of the figure who was trying to pursue me. "It's powered by Xenothium."

I turned around to retort at him, but came face to face with a pale gray skull mask. I let out a small shriek and dropped the laser gun. The skull masked figure caught it and brought it up to his eye level and inspected it for a little bit.

"Thanks toots," you could basically hear the smirk in his voice. "I've wanted to steal this for months."

I sneered. "_Don't _call me _toots_."

"Feisty, aren't we?" he asked, as he clipped the laser gun to his belt. Now that he was up close, I could depict some noticeable features. His skull mask had a red "x" on his forehead, extending over his right eye. He wore a black jump suit with a tattered black and gray cape. His hands were covered in gray gloves, and on his chest extended yet another red "x". Around his waist was a gray utility belt and he wore black combat boots.

"What would a girl like you want with this toy anyways?" he scoffed.

I put my arms behind my back innocently, pacing forward slightly. "Oh, I don't know..." I swiftly kicked out my leg, unlatching the gun from his belt. Then, I pushed on his chest to make him fall over. The gun landed in my hand again. I latched it to the chain on my black pleated mini skirt. "Just to give it a whirl, perhaps."

Without waiting for him to get up or respond, I dashed away from him. Then, I snapped my fingers and teleported out of the building. Outside, waited Professor Chang. He smirked and tried reaching for the gun, but I slapped his hand away. "Payment first, product later," I glared at him. He muttered something about teenagers and handed me a bundle of cash. I smirked. "Thank you for doing business with me." I tossed him the laser gun as I shoved the bundle of money into my pocket.

"No problem, Dark Veil," he smirked at his newly bought toy and disappeared into the night, leaving me alone.

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**Author's Note~**

**Yeah, I know this was kinda boring, but this was just to set things up. I'm trying out something new, since I always write about heroes. **

**Reviews, faves, and follows are very greatly appreciated. If you have the time, give me some feedback so I can improve. Thanks for taking the time out to read this! I really appreciate it.**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Here's another chapter. Enjoy! :D **

**_Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Teen Titans. Even when I did try and buy it from Warner Bros with the seventy eight cents I had, they refused._**

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"I can't believe this!" I shouted, slamming my hands down on the keyboard.

"Can't believe what, dude?" Beast Boy asked from behind me, sitting upright on the couch.

"Someone broke into H.I.V.E. Academy last night and stole that new Xenothium-powered gun that they've been working on," I responded, opening the tab with the news on it.

"Dude, who cares?" Beast Boy sighed. "This person stole it from the H.I.V.E. They're our _enemies_, remember?"

I shook my head, getting aggravated. "You don't get it, _do you_, Beast Boy? Someone was able to steal it _from _H.I.V.E and now they or someone else is using it for their own—probably sinister or evil—reasons!"

Beast Boy remained silent for a little bit. "Say what now?"

_It could be Red-X, _I thought, pulling up another tab on the computer._ But why would he_ _randomly want the gun?_

"Beast Boy, could you get Cyborg for me?" I asked him, not taking my eyes away from the computer screen. I heard him grunt and he pulled himself to his feet. "Fine..."

The door swished open and then closed again. "Robin, what are you doing?" I turned and saw Starfire standing in front of the sliding door. Before I could answer, she flew over and stood beside me, looking at the computer screen skeptically.

"Robin, you are not the 'overly obsessed' with the researching of villains again, are you?" she asked, concern edging her voice.

I looked at her for a moment and shook my head. "No, and I promised that I would never do that again."

The door swished open and Beast Boy appeared in the doorway, Cyborg not too far behind him. I motioned Cyborg over.

"What's up?" Cyborg asked quirking an eyebrow. I motioned to the computer screen. He glanced at it for a few moments, skimming through the article about the theft in the H.I.V.E Academy.

"Do you think it's possible for you to hack into the H.I.V.E's security cameras to see who the thief was?" I asked him.

Cyborg started messing around with cables and the screen fuzzed out. "Way ahead of ya."

Cyborg moved some cables around, plugging some in and yanking some out. He played around with the transmission switches, and then plugged in his communicator. Cyborg tapped his communicator screen a few times and the computer screen finally cleared to view a dimly lit lab in our enemy's academy.

Red lasers barricaded the obsidian-black laser gun. It seemed almost impossible for someone to get to it. Suddenly, the faintest beam of light appeared and then disappeared from the right-hand side of the screen. Next, a figure came into view, standing just in front of the lasers. I assumed the figure was a girl, since her figure was curved. She had shoulder-length curly black hair and when she turned her head, I saw that her bangs were dyed a lavender purple color. Her arms were bare, since she wore a black lace corset and a pleated black mini skirt with chains on either side. I couldn't see her face because something was covering it; it looked like a veil.

Starfire furrowed her brow in confusion at the screen. "Robin, who is this girl?"

"I honestly have no idea," I admitted. "But I intend on finding out."

"Y'all hush. Let's see if we can get anything else outta this video," Cyborg hushed us.

The three of us returned our attention back to the video. The girl was flipping and twisting around the wires, cartwheeling and hand-springing her way towards the laser gun. She stopped in front of the podium that the gun stood on, kicked it, and the gun plopped into her hands. The girl froze up for a moment and looked over her shoulder; something must've made a noise behind her because she looked cautious. She snapped her fingers and disappeared out of the view of the camera.

I folded my arms over my chest. "Looks like we'll have to find out who she is the hard way."

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The next night, I was hired by to steal back some sort of remote. The owner claimed that if he didn't have it soon, that he would be "ultimately powerless against the Titans".

"Alright, so _where_ is this remote?" I asked, my impatience with Control Freak growing by the second. He wasn't the most attractive guy I've ever met. Okay, let me rephrase that; he was _really _unattractive. This guy was extremely pale, with long bright orange hair. He was overweight, and his eye twitched every few seconds.

"It's on the other s—" he twitched a bit, and then continued. "Side of town, locked under high security." I quirked my eyebrow.

"Seriously? It's under _high_ security? Are you sure about that? I don't think anyone would want to bother with it, considering it belongs to a guy like _you_."

He narrowed his beady blue eyes. "Fine, maybe I'll just cut your pay—"

"Oh, you wouldn't do that, would you?" I purred, placing my hand on my hip and curling my hair around my pale finger. I looked up at him, and he looked as if he was in some sort of trance.

"Uh, l-listen, if you get my remote to me in a half-hour, I won't cut your pay," he stammered as I started to walk past him. My back facing him, I almost shivered at the thought of trying to flirt with this guy even more, just so I could get a higher pay; but it was kind of worth it.

"Fine, I'll be back soon," I responded, snapping my fingers and teleporting towards the south side of the city. Long shadows fell on the empty, unlit streets. Most of the buildings' lights were off, allowing pure moon and starlight to filter through and light the street dimly. I continued to slink down the sidewalk, careful to watch for any unwanted audience members.

The coast was clear, so I continued to make my way down to the docks where all the warehouses were. I turned down one of the rows of warehouses, careful not to make too much noise. The sound of voices came from the end of the pathway, so I flattened myself against a shadowy wall, praying that the guards wouldn't see me. They turned down the pathway I was in, and when the passed me I came up behind them and bashed their heads together. The two guards crumpled to the ground, unconscious. I smirked as I jumped over them, continuing to make my way to Control Freak's remote. I squinted in the moonlight; it seemed the warehouses were labeled. I assumed that his remote would be under "technology", so I started scanning the signs for it. I passed some houses labeled "automobiles", "weaponry" and finally, the warehouse I was looking for came into view.

I studied the door for a bit and rolled my eyes. Snapping my fingers, I teleported inside. Darkness swarmed around me, throwing my vision off for just a few moments. When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I glanced around. Squinting, I made out the shapes of different computer chips, energy sources and computer monitors. Finally, on a podium in the back, Control Freak's remote stood under a glass dome. I smashed the glass with my fist, grabbing the remote and quickly dashing for the exit. I heard an alarm in the distance and I assumed that I only had a few minutes before some guards came to catch me. Something dropped down in front of me, and I almost fell backwards.

"_You_," I spat. "What do _you_ want?"

"Nice to see you too," The skull masked guy dusted off his shoulder, blocking my exit.

"Look, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I really have to go, so if you could just-" I tried side-stepping to the right, but he blocked my path. I scowled at him, and kicked him in the chest. He fell over and I leaped over him. "Sayonara sucker."

I dashed out of the warehouse, remote in hand. I skidded around the corner, only to be met by at least seven guards. They ran at me all at once, but I snapped my fingers, teleporting out of there just in time.

I found myself standing behind Control Freak. "Hey, I got your remote."

He turned around to face me, some sort of happiness lit up his eyes. Control Freak swiped at my hands for the remote, but I held it out of his reach. "Pay first," I hissed.

Control Freak pouted and handed me my pay. "Thank you," I smiled venomously as I handed him his remote. He squealed and ran away.

Now, about that skull masked guy...Who in the world _was_ he? I had never seen him before that other night. I found it weird that he kept popping up out of nowhere when I was on a mission. _Maybe next time I get hired, I'll catch his name,_ I told myself.

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**Author's Note~  
**

**Alright guys, here you have another chapter! :D Sorry this took a while to get out to you guys, but hey, it's out now! What do you think is gonna happen next?**

**Reviews, follows and faves are greatly appreciated :) Tell me what you thought.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! :3 I want to thank you guys for favoriting and reviewing! It puts a smile on my face! So, without out any further interruptions, here's chapter three. **

_**Disclaimer: I have or never will own Teen Titans.**_

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Before I started heading back...home, I took another glance over my shoulder at the direction Control Freak ran off in. My hands rested on my hips and I sighed; I found it sad that villains older than me were asking for my help. Sure, I was a skilled hand-to-hand fighter, but so were some of my clients. And what was _really_ sad was that these villains were _way_ more experienced than myself. I had only just moved to Jump City, because most of the villains I worked for in my hometown were now under high security in the state's best prison.

I shivered as a gust of cold wind swirled around my bare arms. It was nearly midnight, and all the street lights were out. I decided to head back...I guess "home" would be the right word here. I slipped into the shadows, but realized what a big mistake that was. It was even colder in the shadows than it was in the open street, and I was twice as cold as the next person because I didn't cover much of my skin. I seriously needed to consider changing my wardrobe.

Snapping my fingers, I teleported on top of any empty warehouse. I busted down the rooftop door, since its hinges were rusty which made it hard to open every now and then. The darkness swallowed me up as I walked inside.

You would think with all the money I had that I'd be able to afford a nice base with high-tech everything, right? Well, you're wrong. Yeah, I make a decent wage, but sometimes my clients come to steal their money back. How nice are they? I go through all the trouble of stealing whatever the heck it is they want, and they steal their precious money back.

I walked along one of the suspended catwalks about three stories above ground level, making my way to the other side of the building. Most of the windows were bored up, which prevented most of the moonlight from lighting up the inside of the warehouse. I collapsed into an armchair and laid my head back, realizing how tired I was from tonight's robbery.

Something crashed against one of the metal catwalks and my head shot up. I narrowed my eyes, straining them to see what could have possibly made the noise. I cautiously rose from my seat and balanced on top of the catwalk's railing, trying to make as little noise as possible. I gripped the suspension cord tightly, making sure I would slip and plummet three stories. I leaned over to get a look at who invaded my home.

It was that same guy with the skull mask. I stifled a scoff as I narrowed my eyes at him. I leaped from the railing and onto another catwalk below. Surprisingly, I didn't make as much noise as I thought I would, but still enough to make the guy look up. I jumped up onto the railing so he could see me.

"Hey you," I called to him.

He looked up at me and pointed a finger to his chest. "Who, me?" His voice laced with sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes and decided to humor him. "_No_, I was _obviously_ talking to the other guy in plain sight."

"Really? I don't see anyone," he retorted as he looked side to side. "Nope, no one else here, besides you and me, toots." You could practically hear the smirk in his voice. Rolling my eyes, I jumped from the railing and onto the floor in front of him. I rested my index finger in the center of the red "x" on his chest.

"Aren't you a smart girl? X marks the spot," he (most likely) smirked again. I scowled at him. "Look, I don't know who you are, but you better stop stalking me."

He chuckled. "So you think I'm a stalker?"

"I don't think, I _know,_" I pushed him away from me. He stumbled backwards and almost fell over. He folded his arms and looked at me. "I don't believe I caught your name."

I gave him a death glare. "And what do you want me to do about it?" He chuckled. "Can't I have your name?"

"Why? Don't you already have one?" I smirked at him. I climbed up a broken suspension cord and hopped off onto a catwalk. Something else clanked against the metal and I looked behind me, only to be face to face with the stalker. I let out a gasp of surprise and almost fell off the catwalk. He let out a small huff of laughter as he caught me by the wrist and pulled me closer to him.

"Tell you what," he whispered. "If you tell me who you are, I'll tell you who I am, because I bet you're _dying_ to know."

I tore my wrist from his grip and narrowed my eyes at him. "I go by Dark Veil," I told him cautiously. "And you are?"

"Name's Red X, toots," he extended his hand. "Nice to officially meet you."

I quirked an eyebrow at him, then slapped his hand away. "Just because I know your name doesn't mean I like you, hot shot."

"Actually, it's _Red X_," he smirked again. "Not_ hot shot_."

"Whatever," I mumbled as I reached for another suspension cord. I grabbed it and started climbing onto the catwalk above me. "Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier if you just teleported?" Red X asked from below me. I looked down at him and sighed. Sure, it probably would be easier, but it was much more fun this way.

"Do you really want to piss me off?" I asked him as I reached the higher catwalk. He slowly shook his head. "Then do me a favor and stop stalking me," I hissed at him before walking over to the armchair again.

When I didn't hear anything, I rolled my eyes. "That means _get out_." That's when I heard his footsteps grow fainter. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. _Than__k God he's gone._

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**Author's Note~_  
_**

**Sorry that this took a long time! I was busy with school and I had a ton of writer's block! :P Reviews would be nice, they motivate me to write :) **

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	4. Chapter 4

**Why hello there my good people! :D Sorry this took a bit longer than I would have liked, but be happy that it's out now! And let's just say that the Titans get involved here...mwahahahaha!**

_**Disclaimer: Well, if I did own Teen Titans, I would've put it back on TV already...but sadly, I do not own it :(**_

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Ok, during my time as a hired thief, I had _never_ seen a client like this one guy before. From the neck down, he was an average teenage guy, but his "face" was atrocious. Instead of where a normal human head should be, the body of a black spider sat on his neck. It's eyes were blood-red. I quirked my brow at him as he explained to me what he wanted me to steal for him.

He held out a picture of a red gem on a podium. "I want you to steal this for me," he hissed. "It's in Titan's Tower, locked away."

"Come again?" I furrowed my brow. "Titan's Tower?"

He narrowed his four blood-red eyes. "You haven't heard of the Teen Titans?" His eyes widened again as I slowly shook my head. Then, he continued. "The Teen Titans are a group of teen punks that ruin our fun." I supposed he meant "other villains" by "our".

Then I realized something. "W-wait, so you're telling me that you want me to go into _enemy_ territory to steal something?" When he nodded, I narrowed my lavender eyes. "I better get good pay for this," I mumbled. "Where exactly is Titan's Tower?"

He lifted one of his spider legs and pointed towards the water. "It's not hard to miss. It's a large T-shaped tower in the middle of the bay." I nodded and dashed off towards the water. I slowed my pace when I could see the large T-shaped tower looming over a small island in the middle of the dark, churning water.

"It's a little late for a swim, don't you think?"

I sighed irritably, and turned around. Behind me was none other than Red X himself. Folding my arms across my chest, I glared at him. "For your information, I am _not_ swimming tonight, genius. I have to go into Titan's Tower to get something for a client."

The whites of his mask widened. He pointed to the T-shape in the bay. "You mean, you're going in _there_ where they can _catch_ and _arrest_ you?"

I guessed I hadn't thought about the consequences at the time, but if I wanted to get a really good pay, I needed to get that gem for spider boy. I sighed. "Look, I'll be fine. I've been in slim situations before, so quit worrying about me. I'll teach those punks a lesson."

"I never said I was worried about you, toots," he almost protested as he folded his arms. "I'm just saying that you have no experience fighting the Titans; you might not know what you're going up against if their awake."

I contemplated this for a while. In a way-that I didn't want to admit-Red X was right. But, like I said to him, I had been in sticky situations before, I'm sure that I could've gotten out of them.

"I'll be fine. How hard could it possibly be?" I quirked my brow at him.

Red X heaved a sigh. "Alright, but don't say I didn't tell you so, toots."

I rolled my eyes and turned to face the water again. Walking closer to the water's edge, I found that there weren't any bridges connecting to the Titan's Tower. In the middle of the water. Just great.

Focusing on the T-shape, I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I was standing in front of Titan's Tower. With an excruciating head ache. I clutched the sides of my head and my knees almost buckled. You see, if I teleport to a far distance, my head will start hurting like hell. If I over-use my powers...I pass out.

Regaining my balance, I stood up straight and walked over to what I assumed was the front entrance to the Tower. There was a keypad, and I guessed that there was a specific pass code to get into the Tower. I balled up my fist and punched right through the keypad and into its circuitry. It sparked and I was shocked as I pulled my fist out. The metallic doors split apart and I slipped in.

The Tower was almost completely pitch black, besides the faint moonlight straining to peek through the tinted windows. _Alright, where could that damned gem be? _I hissed inwardly as I quietly slipped into hallways and rooms. I thought I heard a door swish open behind me, but when I whipped around, nothing was there.

I continued to make my way down a hallway when I say another door with a keypad next to it. I assumed that in that room was the gem and a bunch of other valuable trinkets that the Titans had locked up. I punched the keypad and the door swished open.

A soft light glowed in the room, and if it weren't there, the room would be pitch black. The light glowed from the back corner of the room and I narrowed my eyes. Walking toward it, I realized that it was the gem spider boy wanted. I smirked; this was too easy.

I took the glass off of the podium, but just as I had, the light flickered on in the room. I quickly crouched down, hoping no one had seen me.

Footsteps neared me and I held my breath. "H-hello? Is anyone in here?" It was a girl's voice. "Beast Boy, if this is one of the 'pranks' I do not appreciate it." The girl gasped and a green laser shot into the wall next to me. I nearly fell back, but I jumped to my feet. The girl in front of me had fiery red hair and blazing green eyes. She extended her arms out towards me, her hands glowing green. "Who are _you_?!"

She shot her green lasers at me, and I flipped out of her range. I landed in a crouch behind her, and kicked her in the back. She fell forward onto her stomach and let out a gasp of shock. I jumped over her and reached for the gem on the podium, but something caught my leg. Pain shot through my calf as I was pulled down. I rolled onto my back, only to come face to face with a green tiger. Its claws dug into my pale skin and I let out a shriek of pain. I slammed my hand down on its shadow and threw it back, causing the green tiger to crash into the wall. My leg was bleeding in five places because of the tiger's claws.

I stood upright, leaning my hand against the wall. Green lasers aimed at my head, but I ducked just in time. Two disk grenades wedged into the wall on either side of me, and blew me halfway across the room. I skidded on my side, and slowly stood up again. More green lasers shot at my legs this time, but I leaped over them. I was in range of the red gem again. I smirked; these Titans know how to put up a good fight, but not good enough.

I reached for the gem and finally grasped it in my hand. I clutched it tightly and bolted for the door, kicking of off a guy with spiky black hair that I had knocked over.

"Thanks for the lift," I chuckled at my own joke. I made it out into the hallway, only to be encased in black shadow. In front of me floated a girl with a blue cloak and pale gray skin. I tried manipulating the shadow, but it wasn't working; it must've been black magic. Instead, I reached out with my hand towards the sorceress's shadow that cast in front of her. I balled my hand up into a fist and smashed it against the wall, and so did she. The shadow around me disappeared , and I continued to dash down the hallway.

I turned the corner, and there was the entrance. My leg throbbed, but I pushed myself on.

Just as I was about to reach the rocky outcrop of the island, something crashed into me from behind. Pain shot up my back as I was pinned to the floor. I could feel blood welling from my upper back, and I struggled to get out of who I assumed to be the green tiger's grasp. But he only dug its claws deeper into my skin. I screeched in pain and I kicked at the tiger's stomach. I closed my eyes thinking of the warehouse. My "home".

When I opened my eyes, I found myself on one of the catwalks. I let out a blood-curdling scream because my head started to throb more painfully this time; the claw marks in my back and leg weren't helping much either. I shakily rose to my feet, having to lean on the railing of the catwalk for support. Blood dripped down my leg and off my back. I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth in pain.

Then my eyes shot open.

I had dropped the gem in Titan's Tower.

"Damn it!" I screamed, but then clutched my head; I guessed it was sensitive to loud noises.

I heard footsteps behind me. "Say it."

I didn't even have to turn around to see who it was. I knew it was Red X, and he wanted to taunt me for my misgivings about the Titans. "S-say what?" I stammered as I slowly turned my head to face him.

"You know what. Say it," Red X folded his arms.

Then I realized what he was trying to get me to say. "Alright...y-you told me so." Red X stepped closer to me. "Thank you for admitting it."

My knees buckled and my grip slipped from the railing. I leaned into Red X, and he caught me in his arms. I leaned my head against his shoulder.

_Looks like spider boy won't be getting what he wanted after all_, I sighed inwardly as I gripped Red X's arm to keep me from falling. And then everything went black.

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**Author's Note~  
**

**So, what'd you guys think? I finally got the Titans involved in this chapter, and they'll be in more to come! Reviews are appreciated ;)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi there! Sorry this took quite a while, but don't blame me, blame the universe. The universe made me sprain my ankle, so I was busy with doctor appointments and all that wonderful stuff :P But now you can enjoy chapter 5! :D**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.**_

* * *

The darkness melted away from my vision as I attempted to open my eyes. My eyelids felt like lead and I raised my hands to my eyes to rub the sleep out of them. I nearly let out a gasp of pain when my eyes met direct sunlight. Shielding my eyes from the sunlight, I looked around; I was in my warehouse, sitting in my chair. I placed my hands on the arms of the chair, pushing myself up to my feet. Something slipped off of me and onto the floor. I looked down at my feet and picked the fabric up; on one side, it was black, and the other side was gray. One of the ends was ripped and tattered.

"Red X," I mumbled under my breath. Suddenly, my face grew hot as I recalled the events of the night before. Red X must have carried me to the arm chair last night and given me his cape to keep me warm. My face grew uncontrollably hot as I started to walk onto a catwalk.

A rush of wind and a pale gray skull mask came to greet me. I fell backwards, and I looked up at him. Red X hung from a support beam, much like a bat hanging upside down. He dropped down and landed in front of me. Red X held out his hand, and I warily took it. He pulled me to my feet and pointed down at my leg. "How does your leg feel?"

I quirked my eyebrow and looked down at my leg. It was wrapped up in a bandage, and I suddenly remembered that that green tiger had injured me. Red X must've patched me up.

"You did that?" I asked him, and he simply nodded in response. I blushed, looked away from him, and held his cape out. "Take it," I mumbled. "You look much better with it anyways."

I could imagine him smirk under his mask. "You think I look _better_ with my cape?" He took it from my outstretched hand.

"You look more complete with it," I respond flatly and folded my arms as he adjusted his cape around his shoulders. Red X-when he was finished fixing his cape-looked up at me and folded his arms across his chest. I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"The Titans know about you now, so if I were you, I would lay low for a while," Red X told me, as if I hadn't considered it already. I narrowed my eyes at him and smirked. "Someone's worried about me, aren't they?"

The whites of his mask narrowed and his arms quickly fell to his sides, his hands balling up into fists. "I _never_ said I was worried about you, Dark Veil!" Both of my eyebrows rose and my eyes widened. That was the first time he had ever called me by my alias. I stepped towards him and rested my hand on his forehead, as if I was testing him for a fever. Looking up at him, I almost laughed. "Are you feeling alright? That's the first time you've ever called me by my alias."

He slapped my hand away and I could tell he was smirking. "Never better, toots." I narrowed my eyes skeptically at him before turning around. His footsteps followed behind me. "Oh, and you're welcome."

I turned around to ask him what he meant, but before I fully turned, I understood. "Uh, thanks," I mumbled, unsure of how to thank him. Red X shrugged a shoulder and crossed his arms. He jumped up onto the supporting beams on the ceiling and hung from the beam by his legs, hanging in front of me. I sighed. "Ok, what do you want?"

Red X swung back and forth slightly as he hummed in response. "I was wondering if you could get something for me."

I quirked my eyebrow at him and tilted my head. "Wait, let me get this straight..._you_ want _me_ to steal something for _you_?"

"I believe that's what I said, toots," he said as he swung. I folded my arms and sighed. "Well, I'm kinda backed up on requests right now, but I'll get to you sometime soon, ok?"

Red X heaved an exaggerated sigh and dropped down, landing on his feet. "Fine, but don't make me wait too long, toots. Nothing is worse than making me wait."

* * *

Night fell over Jump City and I came up to a science lab. Inside, there was a high tech chip, which The Brain was in desperate need of. He said that it would make his power sustain for a much longer time. I snapped my fingers and teleported inside the lab with ease.

It took a few moments for my vision to adjust, and when it did, I slipped down the dark hallway. At almost every sound, I jumped; I didn't want to run into the Titans again because the last time, it ended in disaster.

I finally reached the door I was looking for, and busted it down. Two guards jumped to their feet and pointed their guns at me. "Freeze!" the one on the right shouted, but I did anything but that. I smirked wickedly and extended my arm towards the one who shouted. I balled my hand into a fist, tossing his shadow at the wall. He hit the wall with a loud thud, and slid to the floor. The other stared at the fallen guard but quickly turned his attention back to me. His finger rested on the trigger and he began to shoot.

I snapped my finger and teleported behind him. He looked side to side, clearly oblivious to the thought that I was right behind him. I brought my leg up and kicked him in the side of the head. He let out a grunt and fell to the floor, unconscious.

I smirked and walked over to the case in which the chip was in. I slipped it out to get a look at it, and smiled. I slipped it back into the case and slipped into the dark hallway once more. To my surprise, footsteps pounded from down the hall. And I clenched my jaw when I saw who the footsteps belonged to.

The Teen Titans.

"Don't move," the guy with the spiked hair commanded me. He looked no older (or taller) than me and I scoffed. "You can't tell me what to do, shorty."

He scowled and pointed at me. "Titans, go!" His team launched forward and began to attack.

The girl who had found me in their tower-she had cherry red hair and glowing green eyes-lit up her hands and flung her green light disks at me. I ducked under and dodged them with ease. As I passed her, I flung her shadow over my head, causing her to do the same. She let out a shriek of surprise and crashed somewhere behind me.

The empath with the violet-blue cloak glided in front of me. She muttered something and encased me in a bubbled of black magic. I kicked and struggled to get out, but I couldn't control black magic; it was beyond my power. She lifted the black magic bubble to the ceiling and the other four Titans were poised to attack. The empath released her hold on the bubble and it disappeared from around me. The spiky-haired teen threw three disk grenades at me and they exploded on impact. I let out a gasp of pain as I crashed against a wall.

I slipped into the shadows and dashed down the hallway when they were trying to look for me. I ran outside without looking back and when I felt the cool night wind gliding over my skin, I slowed to a stop. I teleported to my warehouse, where The Brain and his monkey waited for me. I smirked and slipped the chip into The Brain's power source modulator, and his monkey tossed me a wad of cash.

I smirked. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

* * *

**Author's Note~**

**Well, how was that? I hope you all enjoyed! :)**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated~!**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey there! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've had state testing an stuff like that :P But now since it's the weekend, I can update some stuff! Enjoy! :D**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.**_

* * *

It was nearly noon and I kept shielding my eyes from the sun. I scowled, half at the client standing in front of me and half at the blinding sunlight. With a hint of annoyance, I pleaded, "Can we _please_ discuss this in a place with more...shade?"

He rolled his eyes and I swore I saw him shudder the slightest bit when I said "shade". He agreed, and we moved into the alleyway between my warehouse and another abandoned building. I leaned against the brick wall and studied him for a moment; to be completely honest, his face seemed to resemble a monkey. He was in full black and white body armor and on his chest was a light bulb.

"I want you to steal something from the museum a few block over," Monkey Face nodded his head in the direction of the museum. "It's a crystal that can bend and refract light in ways no other object can...and I want you to steal it in daylight."

I gave him an are-you-serious? look. I rolled my eyes. "Look pal, that's not how I work. I'm not a day job person," I explained to him. "I'm more of a...night shift worker, if you will. I steal things at night because I don't get caught as much as during the day. Plus...I'm not a morning person...or a day kinda person either."

"You are to call me Doctor Light, and you will steal the Light Crystal during the day," Doctor Light growled at me. I rolled my eyes and scoffed, standing straight. Then, side glancing at him, I smirked and summoned a shadow figure from the far corner of the wall. The figure glided forward, and stood behind Doctor Light. I smirked and looked sideways. "I wouldn't look behind me if I were you."

He furrowed his brow and glanced over his shoulder. Doctor Light let out a small shriek and almost fell over. The shadow duplicated, and duplicated again until there were four shadows surrounding him. His eyes flitted from side to side, his body trembling. "I-I am not scared of a m-mere teenage girl," he stammered, but clearly that was a lie.

"I'll make a compromise with you, Doctor Light," I spat his name. I started circling him and my shadowy companions and smirked. "If I steal this whatever-it-is during the day, you double my pay."

Doctor Light was smart not to move much so he could face me. "Wh-what do you think I'm made out of? Hundred dollar bills?" I scowled at him and flicked my wrist, causing the shadows to tower over him. Doctor Light began to tremble less subtly. "Either agree to my terms, or I'll have my shadows take you to a nice, lightless void."

Sweat beaded on Doctor Light's forehead and he let out a shuddering sigh. "A-alright! Just get these horrid things away from me!"

I smirked. "Smart choice," I flicked my wrist and the shadows melted back into each other and then back into the wall. Doctor Light fell to his knees, still trembling. I walked passed him and said over my shoulder, "I'll be back in a half an hour."

* * *

It was the early afternoon when I got to the museum. There were many groups of people entering and exiting through the front doors, and I didn't like it. I teleported onto the rooftop and surveyed the museum through some skylight windows on the roof.

Many people were looking around different exhibits, but it seemed most of the people were looking at one exhibit in particular. I squinted a bit to get a better look and it seemed that it was the crystal Doctor Light wanted. And it was the center of everyone's attention.

"My job is never easy, is it?" I complained to myself. I kicked the skylight and it shattered, raining down on the civilians below. I jumped through the now broken skylight and reached for one of the truss beams on the ceiling. I flipped and landed skillfully on top of the narrow beam, waiting for the right time to drop down and claim my prize.

As people were drawn away from the crystal, I jumped down, landing on a nearby empty pedestal. Some people shrieked or shouted in surprise or alarm as I made my way towards the crystal. Two security guards came my way, but I didn't need to worry about them. I flicked my wrists up, and two shadows took the shape of a human and glided towards the two scared guards. As my little friends dealt with the guards, I smashed the glass and snatched the crystal.

People shouted and screamed things like, "It's the Shadow Puppeteer!" or "Call the Titans!"

Suddenly, a familiar spiky haired teen burst through the front doors, followed by four others. _Great, the Titans,_ I inwardly scowled.

"Sorry, your field trip's over, Shadow Puppeteer," their leader (I assumed) cracked his knuckles, ready to fight. Before any of them even blinked, two X-shaped shurikens landed in a pipe, causing smoke or some sort of gas to spew out. It quickly shrouded the first floor of the museum, and it prevented the Titans from being able to see me.

"Hey toots, up here."

I looked up at the ceiling and saw none other than Red X himself sitting on a truss beam. I teleported next to him and gave him a small smile. "Thanks for the help...I didn't want to deal with _them_ again."

I could tell he was smirking under the mask. "Hey, no problem...but could you do me a favor and get us out of here? I don't know how long the smoke will shroud the museum."

"Sure, take my hand," I said as I held out my free hand. Red X warily took it and I teleported us back to my warehouse. My headed pounded when we reached the warehouse and I collapsed to my knees. I nearly dropped the crystal when I clutched my hands to my head and gritted my teeth. "Damn, I really gotta stop traveling far distances..."

I pushed myself to my feet, and nearly doubled over, but Red X steadied me. "Why don't you go chill and I'll give this to..." He looked at me. I gritted my teeth and replied, "Doctor Light."

Red X nodded and crouched on an unboarded window sill. Before he jumped, Red X looked back at me. "Take it easy, alright?" But before I could respond, he jumped off the window sill with the crystal in his hand.

I stared at empty window sill for a while longer. What had gotten into Red X? He had never sounded so worried or sympathetic before...

I convinced myself that I was hallucinating and collapsed in my chair. I closed my eyes and slipped into sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note~**

**So yeah, I'm trying to create some moments between them, but it's not entirely working out :P If you guys have any ideas, please feel free to review them!**

**Thanks for reading! ;)**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a little while. I had some writer's block, and I'm trying to finish up my other story Just Be Friends. Now, on with the story! :D**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans_**

* * *

The night sky was clear and the stars started to show through the indigo sheet. Tonight, I was stealing for some magician who went by the name of Mumbo Jumbo. He wanted me to get his top hat and wand back for him.

I was about to leave my warehouse, when Red X hung in front of me from the rafters. I rolled my eyes. "Is this what you like to do in your free time? Stalk me? I thought I told you to stop that."

I could tell he was smirking under his mask by the way he spoke. "You're the only thing interesting enough to keep my eye on...where ya headed off to, toots?"

"I was just about to head out and steal something, why?" I asked as I folded my arms across my chest. Red X dropped from the rafters and landed in front of me, the whites of his mask wide. He put his hands out, as if to stop me. "Oh no, you are _not_ going to steal something again."

I quirked an eyebrow and tilted my head. "And why not?"

"Last I checked, you got hurt the past few times you went out to steal something," Red X folded his arms across his chest.

I smirked at him and took a few steps closer to him. "You're worried about me, aren't you? No wonder you've been acting so strange..."

"I never said I was worried about you," Red X denied it, but I could hear something in his voice that told me he was lying. I smirked at him again. "If you're so worried about me, then why don't come along with me?"

"Fine—but I'm _not_ worried about you."

I had teleported the both of us to the warehouse where Mumbo had told me his stuff was locked up. All the doors were locked or rusted shut. Red X pulled out something from his belt and told me to stand back. He threw the x at the side of the building and it grew in size. It gleamed and then went transparent. "Portal X's," Red X chuckled. "They work every time."

I gingerly stuck my arm through the hole, and it lead straight into the warehouse. "Go ahead, I'll stay here, just in case some brats decide to show up."

I nodded to him and slipped inside. My eyes took a few moments to adjust to the darkness in the warehouse, but then I started making out shapes of various objects. Debris and old papers littered the ground, and I nearly tripped over a cord snaking around on the floor. I couldn't find the damn hat or wand anywhere on the first level, so I climbed a broken cord that hung from the ceiling. I leaped onto a catwalk suspended above the first level and began to look around. Suddenly, through the darkness, I saw the shape of his hat on a pedestal, the wand propped up against the hat.

I grabbed both the wand and hat, and slid down the cord. Just as my feet hit the floor, I heard a loud crash coming from outside.

_Red X_, I thought immediately. I bolted for the hole in the wall, but it was there anymore. With that, I teleported outside to find the Titans giving Red X a beat down. Dropping the hat and wand, I joined the fight. Red X was leaning against the wall, clutching his side. He looked up at me when I ran up next to him. "Well, it's about time you showed up."

"You're lucky I heard that crash," I told him before summoning two shadow figures. "I would've taken my sweet time getting the hat."

I flicked my wrists, and the shadows darted around the green changeling and their leader. The girl with the fiery red hair lit up her hands and started shooting at Red X, and he collapsed.

"Red X!" I shouted, but then the chick started firing at me. I ducked just before one of her bolts shot my head and I ran at her. Jumping in front of her I shouted, "Leave him alone!" and tackled her. She shrieked and flung me off with ease, making me crash into the side of the warehouse. I grunted as I made impact with the wall, but I quickly got back up. Their leader was closing in on Red X and I flicked my wrist in his direction. The two shadows glided away from the empath and changeling and shot towards the Titan's leader. He looked surprised as the shadows circled around him.

While they were keeping him busy, the empath and bolt shooting chick started attacking me. The empath encased me in black magic and levitated me into the air. I tried bending the black magic to my command, but it wouldn't work. She slammed me into the wall once more, and I crashed to the pavement below.

I staggered to my feet and looked up to the Titans. Their leader was closest to me. "I'm afraid you're under arrest, Shadow Puppeteer."

"Over my dead body!" I punched him in the face and made my way to Red X. The leader staggered back and I had bought just enough time to teleport Red X and I out of there.

Red X was still clutching his side when we were at my warehouse. I fell to my knees, pain pulsing in my forehead. I was sore all over the place, but I thought Red X was in a worse position. He leaned against the wall, his breathing shallow.

"You need to take that damn mask off, you're gonna suffocate in that thing," I said as I started reaching for the line of his mask. He weakly slapped my hand away.

"Don't...touch it," he coughed. Red X's hand fell to his side.

"You're gonna suffocate! Take off the damn mask," I almost shouted. He shook his head "no". I knelt closer to him and gripped the edge of his mask. I tore it off. When I got a good look at him, my face must've turned bright red.

Red X looked up at me, his green eyes clouded the slightest bit in pain. He had shaggy black hair with white streaked bangs.

I avoided eye contact with him by looking at the floor. "You're not as ugly as I thought you'd be."

He smirked and chuckled lightly. "You're not so bad yourself, toots." And then, he passed out.

* * *

**Author's Note~**

**Hey guys! I hope you liked it! **

**I'm kinda having trouble deciding on what my next big Teen Titans story will be, so if you could vote on the poll in my profile please? It's help a lot!**

**Thanks for reading! **

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey there people of the interwebs .w. I know, it's been a little while since I updated, but be glad I'm updating now! Enjoy~!  
**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.**_

* * *

Red X looked much better the next day. His face wasn't as pale as it had been, and he wasn't stumbling around as much. When he regained consciousness, he quickly put his mask back on and acted as if nothing happened. He went back to his annoying, perverted self.

The skull masked thief hung from the support beams in the ceiling, the whites of his mask focused on my movements. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," I responded flatly, focusing on the shadows I had conjured. I watched as two of them flitted around.

"I meant a different question, smart one," Red X retorted sarcastically, and he flipped off of the beam. He landed in front of me, his arms folded across his chest as if to say, "Well?"

I rolled my eyes and turned to face him. "What's your question?" I prompted. Red X's hands went to his hips and he sighed. "Can you steal some Xenothium for me? I'm running low on it, and with out it, my weapons are useless."

I turned to face him, my conjured shadows melting into the dark corners of the building. My eyebrows arched as I looked at Red X; the conceited thief was asking _me_ to steal something for him. A smirk curled my lips.

"So you want me to steal something for you?" I asked, and I couldn't help but smirk even more when he nodded in reply. "Do you know where it is?"

Red X scoffed, as if the answer was completely obvious. "Y'know that old laboratory on the west side of town?" He paused to let me respond. I thought for a moment, and then nodded in reply. "There's a bunch of cases of the stuff just sitting there. No one's touched it and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who knows about it."

I slowly nodded and glanced out the shattered remains of one of the windows. "I'll be back soon...if I'm not back in an hour, you might want to come and see if I'm alright. The Titans have been getting dangerously close to arresting me."

Red X gave a curt nod and with that, I teleported to the lab.

* * *

The dim moonlight cast long shadows along the silent streets. I crept towards the entrance, and had to kick down the door which was almost rusted shut. I walked in without trouble and looked around as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Continuing down the hallway, I thought I heard something, but it was only a mouse that scampered across my path. It fixed its eyes on me and then it bolted into the darkness. I shrugged and finally came to a set of doors.

There was a keypad that was most likely no longer worked. The door looked as if it was permanently shut. I punched the keypad, reaching into its circuits. It sparked and then the doors screeched open. My eyes widened in surprise as I took a look around.

The walls were lined with unopened crates and cases of the chemical that Red X mentioned. I was surprised that no one else knew about this stash; maybe because the chemical was very unstable unless handled the right way.

I pried a crate open and couched as dust billowed around my face. I fanned it away and reached for a case of the Xenothium. Closing the case, I smirked; talk about an easy mission.

Then, suddenly footsteps pounded from outside the small room and in burst the Titans. I gently set down the case of the unstable chemical.

I folded my arms across my chest and rolled my eyes as the Titans came to a stop, poised to attack. "Look, you guys may as well give it up. You can't even _catch_ me and I always have the upper hand. You _know_ you can't win."

The leader with the spiky hair scowled. "We won't stop coming after you until you are behind bars, Shadow Puppeteer. Titans go!" He pointed at me and the team leaped at me.

The chick with the red hair started shooting me, but I teleported out of the way of each and every shot. I yawned a fake yawn and then shot her a smirk. The green changeling shifted into a lion and pounced on top of me. I inwardly started to panic; the last time he shifted into a wild cat, things did _not_ end well for me.

I twisted his shadow and flung him backwards into the wall, causing him to crash into his leader as well. The empath in the purple cloak levitated and tried encasing me in black magic, but I was faster. I extended my arm forward and tossed her shadow to the side, causing her body to do the same. The cyborg fired his arm canon at me, and I just barely dodged it.

Without hesitating, I bolted for the opened hand was just about to close around the handle of the case I had taken out when someone pulled me back. I turned about halfway around, when the leader knocked me upside the head with his bo-staff. He then kicked me in my side and I crumpled to the floor. I tried pulling myself together and tried to get up, but I only fell back to the floor. The leader whacked my head again for good measure and I was nearly out cold. Black magic encased me, and I felt myself being lifted off the floor. I didn't even attempt to escape; I was so tired I didn't even care that I was being carried off by the enemy.

I guess we had reached the outside of the laboratory because the empath flung me into a police car. I hit my head again, and I was out like a light.

* * *

**Author's Note~**

**Yes, I'm aware that this was shorter than usual D: But don't worry, they'll hopefully get longer since I'm almost finished with school!**

**What'd you guys think? If you guys could please vote on the poll on my profile, that would be great! I can't decide what story I should write next, and I want your opinion! **

**As always, thanks for reading! (ow...my fingers hurt!)**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi there! I just couldn't wait to write this chapter, so I went ahead and did so! I hope you guys enjoy :)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. I do own my OC, Dark Veil.**_

* * *

The moon was starting to set, the sky getting brighter with the rising sun. Dark Veil had been gone a _long_ time. I know she had told me to come after her after an hour, but I had the feeling that she would've been fine. Now, I was starting to second guess myself.

I paced back and forth on the catwalk, debating with myself with what I should do. It had been maybe about two hours since she left, so I finally decided to go after her.

As soon as I got out of the warehouse, a police car sped down the street, and I backed into an alley way until it passed. When the coast was clear, I bolted in the direction of the laboratory.

The lab looked eerie in the light of the setting moon and rising sun. I noticed that the door at the front entrance was being held at an awkward angle on its hinges. _Dark Veil _was _here, but where did she go? _I inwardly asked myself. Slipping through the doorway, or what was left of it, I continued to walk inside.

It took a few moments for my eye to adjust to the darkness, but within a few minutes I could see everything perfectly fine. There was a set of double doors that were open, the keypad smashed in. Once again, Dark Veil had been here, but she was no where in sight. I walked into the room and glanced around. There were dozens of crates of Xenothium; one of them was open, a case set beside it.

I quickly glanced around. "Dark Veil?" I called her by her alias, but got no response. Then my heart started to race wildly in my chest.

That police car that passed earlier...Dark Veil had_ been_ in it.

_You idiot! _I scolded myself and punched the wall. _Why didn't you connect the two things earlier!? You freakin' idiot!_

Before leaving the lab, I grabbed the case of the Xenothium vials and dashed out of the laboratory. I stopped to reload my weapons and my utility belt with the chemical and quickly made my way back to Dark Veil's warehouse.

* * *

When I regained consciousness, the doors of the police car opened and two police officers stepped inside. The first restrained me before I got the sense to bolt, while the other put something around my neck. I tried teleporting out of their grasp, but I realized my mistake too late. The collar around my neck gave me a good shock, and it didn't let me teleport. I shouted in pain and crumpled to the floor of the van. The police officers grasped my arms firmly and hauled me out of the truck.

_Those damn Titans don't know what they're in for when I break out of here,_ I scowled inwardly.

The two officers hauled me towards a vacant cell, a fresh black and white striped jumpsuit folded neatly on the cot; the kind you would see in a typical cartoon. One of the officers reached for a key ring on his belt while the other stood behind me, restraining me. It wasn't like I could teleport, unless I broke the collar which was most likely impossible. The officer with the keys unlocked the cell and the other shoved me into it. They quickly locked the cell door behind me and instructed me to change into the jumpsuit. I scoffed at them, but did as I was told, changing out of my skirt and corset and into the cliché jumpsuit.

I unhappily sat down on the cot, leaning my back against the wall. So _this_ was what the stoney lonesome was like, huh? I remembered that Red X mentioned being arrested once, but he had managed to escape. I knew I wouldn't be as lucky as him because the officers made sure that I had no way to escape.

Then, anger bubbled up inside of me; where was Red X? I had clearly told him that if I hadn't come back within an hour, to come a help me.

_Maybe he forgot, _I sighed inwardly. _Or didn't care. _

I felt like crying. Why? Well I'll tell you why.

I didn't want to admit it to him, but I loved Red X. He was the only one I had left, ever since I left my real home when I was ten. I was called a freak of nature, a witch, and many other things that were much worse. My own parents didn't want me, so I ran away from home and ended up in Gotham City when I was nearly eleven. I stole for villains such as the Joker and Catwoman. I lived off of what my fellow villains paid me, and it was just enough to get by. When Gotham was fresh out of things to steal, I relocated to Jump City by the time I was fourteen. And I've been living here ever since. I was alone for most of my life, and I never admitted it, but Red X's company was something I wanted after the incident with my family.

I glanced out the tiny window, the sunlight of dawn starting to burst through the dark of the night. It was hopeless waiting for Red X to come. I bowed my head and choked back sobs. Looks like I was back to square one.

I hopelessly tried to break the collar around my neck. It seemed to me that it was made out of titanium, so that it didn't weigh down my neck and shoulders. There must've been some sort of motion detector that shocked me every time I tried to teleport. I rose to my feet, heading towards the bars of the cell. An officer with a key ring was sitting between two cells, his head leaning off to the side. I wondered if the collar would prevent me from manipulating shadows. _Well, there's only one way to find out,_ I told myself.

I flicked my wrist in an effort to summon a shadow figure. My vision went white and I felt the static pulse of electricity. I let out a screech of pain, letting my knees buckle. I fell to the concrete floor, but this time I broke down. Tears rolled off my cheeks. I was weak; I was _nothing_ without my powers. I was a useless being.

* * *

**Author's Note~**

**This chapter was a bit angst-y, but it had to be done. I decided to let you guys in on her past and I wanted to show a different side of her. What'd you guys think of her revelation? :D I thought it was adorable. Let me know what you thought!**

**There's a poll on my profile, and if you could ever so kindly vote, I would really appreciate it! I need help deciding what my next story should be.**

**Thanks for reading, and reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi there guys! I know it's been a little while since I've updated. School is almost over for me, so I'll update my stories more often. Enjoy guys!**

_**Disclaimer: I'm sure you guys are aware that I only own my OC by now.**_

* * *

The day was beginning to break, the sun slowly rising from below the horizon. I peered around the corner of the building and caught a glimpse of the prison's guarded gate. I scowled under my mask.

_What'd you expect? The gates to be wide open, welcoming prisoners to escape? _I asked myself.

I flung two X shurikens at the guards. As the weapons sailed through the air, they expanded and trapped the guards against the high brick wall. I quickly ran over and scaled the wall, landing in a crouch position on the other side.

I looked up, stayed against the wall and made sure nobody saw me. I didn't like doing things during the day, but I had no choice; if I were to wait until nightfall, the warden might've transferred Dark Veil over to the massive prison house in Gotham.

I took out a few security cameras as I made my way along the wall. I knew that I would get caught if I didn't make it inside the building soon. With that in mind, I bolted past a watch tower and through the main entrance.

Two guards' heads snapped up as if they had just woken up from sleeping on the job. I clenched my jaw as they ran toward me. I swung my arm out, making one of my X restraints fly towards the two guards. It bound them together in a matter of seconds, and they collapsed to the floor.

Without hesitating, I bolted down a hallway and skidded to a stop. An officer had his gun pointed at my head. I slowly rose to my height and put my hands up as if surrendering. The officer smirked, as if thinking her had the upper hand.

Wrong. I swept my foot at his ankles, causing him to topple over. He dropped his gun and it skidded down the hall. I kicked the officer in the stomach before leaping over him and continuing my path. The officer cursed behind me and scrambled for his gun before I got too far away. Gun shots were fired, but his accuracy sucked.

I rounded another corner, but this time there were no other guards. I quickly walked down the hallway, looking left and right for any sign of Dark Veil, but I found no trace of her.

_Damn it, where are they keeping her?! _I nearly shouted aloud.

Footsteps pounded behind me and I knew I only had about three seconds before some officers decided to lock me up in a cell. Without looking back, I sprinted down the hallway and skidded around another corner. This hallway was also lined with jail cells, but I was running so fast I couldn't make out the faces of the criminals behind the bars.

"Dark Veil!" I called as the officers were closing in on me. "Dark Veil, where are you?!"

* * *

I woke up in my cell, my neck aching. I sat up slowly, grasping the bars of the cell to haul myself to my feet.

"Good morning, gorgeous," a smooth voice called from across the hall. I lifted my head and caught a glimpse of the low life who greeted me.

He was a tall, college-age-looking guy with fiery red hair and sea green eyes. His left eye was scarred, but I could tell it was an old injury; most likely a burn. He leaned against the bars of his cell with a smirk plastered on his face and I noticed that he too had a collar around his neck. I sneered at him.

"And who might you be?" I retorted. "A guy who's way in over his head?"

He chuckled. "You're a feisty one, I like you already. You remind me of my friend," He paused and his eyes darkened as if mentioning this friend of his had brought back painful memories. "But, I go by the name of Equinox. And who are you?"

I rolled my eyes and smirked at him. "A girl who's way out of your league."

Equinox quirked his eyebrow and chuckled. "You must _really_ want me to like you, isn't that right?"

I was about to retort when I heard a sickeningly familiar voice call my name. "Dark Veil! Dark Veil, where are you?!"

My eyes widened as I recognized the voice. Without hesitating, I shouted back, "Red X! I'm over here!"

As if on cue, the familiar skull masked thief skidded around the corner and stopped in front of my cell. Three officers were on his tail as he picked the lock with one of his shurikens. He flung the door open and sliced through the collar around my neck.

I wanted to hug him so badly right then and there, but there were other pressing matters.

I ran out of my cell, punching one of the officers right in his jaw. I heard it crack and he crumpled to the floor. For good measure, I kicked him into my cell. I turned around and Red X was single handedly facing off the other two officers. Now with my restraining collar off of my neck, I tossed on of the guards aside by his shadow. Red X punched the other officer in the nose, causing him to fall backwards.

Equinox stood in his cell, his sea green eyes wide as he watched the last officer fall. Then, he glanced at me as if he was checking me out. "Damn, you're one tough chick."

Red X walked up to his cell, gripping the bars tightly. He got in Equinox's face and whispered something like, "Paws off, pal." The skull masked thief turned and nodded at me. "Can you teleport us out of here?"

I smirked. "Of course." I grasped his hand and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I found myself in my warehouse with a pretty bad headache. I nearly collapsed, but Red X caught me before I completely fell over. He slowly stood me back up and sighed.

"Look Dark Veil," he started. "I'm sorry. I got you into that mess, so I knew I had to come and get you out of it."

The pain in my head had already started to fade, but I leaned up against one of the catwalk railings just in case. "It's fine, Red X. Last night just wasn't one of my good nights, y'know? Maybe next time I go to steal it for you, I won't get caught…"

Red X shook his head and gripped my arm. "I'm not sending you into that mess again, Dark Veil. I don't want either of us getting caught like that again. I won't let you."

His voice sounded cracked with worry and his grip on my arm tightened as if pleading me to agree. I gently pulled my arm from his grip and sighed. "But you're not going to last long with just that one vial of Xenothium, are you?"

"I can get off my ass and get it myself, you know," he folded his arms across his chest and glanced at his feet. "I don't know why I asked you in the first place when I was fully capable of getting it myself. I should've been the one locked up in the cell."

Red X sounded self-loathing and broken, as if he wanted to beat himself up.

"Stop that," I muttered. "You sound depressed. And besides, I've dealt with worse things in the past..." My voice cracked as I finished my sentence, remembering the challenge that I called my past. Living on the streets in the middle of a high crime rate city with no one to depend on but the other bad guys around you, basically getting verbally abused by my neighbors and family as a child. I hated them all, and that's the reason I ran away.

"Worse than jail?" Red X asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

I nodded. "Much worse than jail." I tried keeping my voice from shaking, but my body wouldn't let me. Tears started to blur the corners of my vision; I didn't want Red X to see me cry, but I couldn't help it. I broke down, cradling my face in my hands. I felt Red X wrap his arms around me in silence and I let him. I leaned my head into his shoulder and continued to cry.

* * *

**Author's Note~**

**Hello there! :) I really liked how this chapter came out. What'd you guys think? Reviews are very much appreciated :)  
**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	11. Chapter 11

**First of all, I am really sorry I haven't updated in forever! But, I've been out of school for about three days now, so I have a TON of more time to update all my stories! Enjoy guys!**

_**Disclaimer: Do I really need to do this anymore?**_

* * *

About ten minutes later, I had pulled myself together. I hated crying in front of Red X; it showed that I was weak, and I didn't want him to get the wrong idea about me. I wiped my eyes with the back of my arm and looked at Red X.

"You have to let me try again," I told him sternly, as if I wasn't going to take "no" for an answer; in retrospect, I wasn't.

He sighed, and I could imagine that he rolled his eyes. "I'm not letting you go out there, just so you can get yourself caught. You'll most likely get dragged off to jail again."

I folded my arms across my chest and pouted. Red X fixed me with what I guessed was a glare. "Don't even try that," he pointed an accusing finger at me. I couldn't help but smirk a bit, but I continued to pout. "Try what?"

"Pouting," Red X simply replied. "It won't work."

I scowled at him and muttered, "Damn it." I fixed him with a glare, and then heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Just let me go and get the freakin' Xenothium for you! You won't last long with just that one vial; you and I both know that."

"Complaining won't help you either," he folded his arms across his chest. "I don't want you out there again; you'll get caught."

I let out an exasperated grunt and flopped into my armchair. "You are impossible!"

I heard him chuckle. "And you're cute when you're mad."

I twisted my face into another scowl. "Oh yeah? Well, I'm about to get real freakin' adorable," I grumbled under my breath. After a few moments of silence, Red X jumped up onto the rafters on the ceiling and hung from one of the beams in front of me.

"Tell ya what," Red X sighed, as if he couldn't believe he was caving in. "If you can beat me in a fight, I'll let you go; it'll be like training."

I quirked an eyebrow as he flipped down in front of me. "You've got to be kidding me."

Red X shook his head, and he most likely smirked under that skull mask of his. "I'm as serious as serious gets, toots."

"Fine," I muttered as I brought myself to my feet.

Almost immediately, Red X threw two of his shurikens at me. I crouched under them just in time, and decided to play around with his shadow. I smirked as I dragged his shadow closer, causing his body to unwillingly come closer. He struggled to get out of my grasp, but I wouldn't let go. Finally, I got bored of his struggling, so I tossed him into the wall. He let out a grunt as he made impact, but he quickly rose to her feet. The X's on his gloves extended into X-shaped blades, and he charged at me. Red X swung at my head, but I swiftly ducked under his arm. I stood up straight again, only to lean backwards from an attempted punch. I grabbed Red X by his wrist, careful not to cut myself with his blades, and flipped him over my shoulder.

"Damn, you're stronger than you look, toots," Red X muttered as he rose to his feet again.

I smirked at him. "Don't judge a book by it's cover."

Red X grabbed a loose cord hanging from the ceiling and swiftly climbed it. I followed him in hot pursuit, trying to grasp his cape to unbalance him. Red X threw two more X's at me, but this time, they weren't shurikens. The X's wrapped around my wrists, ankles, and the cord, leaving me stuck to the cord above a two story drop. Red X was leaning over the railing of the catwalk above, and he waved at me to taunt me. I struggled against the restraint, grunting and swinging on the cord.

A harsh clang sounded from above me. Red X was sitting on one of the rafters' beams, looking down at me. "Give up yet?"

"In your dreams," I replied, and I finally broke my wrists and ankles free. I continued to climb the cord and landed on the catwalk. I looked up again, but Red X was no where to be seen. That's when I felt something push my back, causing me to crash against the railing. I turned around to face him. He cracked his neck. "I'm going easy on you," he faked a yawn. "This isn't as entertaining as I thought it would be."

"You want entertaining?" I asked him, as I reached for the daggers I hid in my boots. I didn't like using them, but it's not like I was going to stab him. "I'll give you entertaining."

The X's on his wrists extended again, and we went into combat. Metal clashed against metal as he blocked my strikes and vice versa. I swung my arm at his head, but he ducked under it, and swept my legs out from under me. I landed on my back dropped my daggers. Red X was about to strike when I threw his shadow at the wall in front of me. While he was dazed, I scrambled for my daggers and I threw them at his cape. He was pinned to the wall.

I rose to my feet, a smirk plastered on my face. I walked over to Red X and pulled my daggers out of the wall. "Looks like I won," I said smugly as I replaced my daggers into their sheaths and put them in my boots. "_Now_ can I go steal the Xenothium for you?"

Red X fixed me with a stare and then sighed reluctantly. "Go," he waved me off.

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**Author's Note~**

**Hello~! I hope you guys enjoyed this! Sadly, the next chapter will be the last :c But, if you guys could ever so kindly vote on the poll on my profile and help me choose my next story, I would greatly appreciate it!**

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated :)**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi there! Sorry that this took FOREVER! I feel bad...I'm afraid to say, but this will be the last chapter of Shadow Puppeteer. Enjoy guys!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, blah blah blah, I only own my OC.**_

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"Maybe I should come with you," Red X walked behind me as I was about to leave. "Ya know, just in case the Titans come back and try to arrest you again."

I turned around to face him and rolled my eyes. "Admit it, you're just worried about me."

"I never said I was," he retorted, but dropped the subject. "Just be careful, would you?"

I rolled my eyes again, and without another word to Red X, I teleported to the lab. The door was still hanging on its hinges from the last time I had kicked it down. Once I was inside, I carefully picked my way towards the lab. The lab seemed still and quiet, and I didn't like that. I knew something was going to attack me, or in the very least, something was going to jump out at me.

The electronic sliding doors were broken, but they were open, so I walked through them without a problem. The problem was inside the lab; it stood in five figures across the room, and my lip pulled into a sneer.

"Still tryin' to catch me, huh?" I asked them.

"And we're not letting you get away this time," their leader walked out of the shadows to reveal himself.

I spread my arms wide and looked at him. "Well, what are you waiting for, I'm right here; no need to stand around while the catch of the day is right under your noses."

And with that, the chick with the laser hands started blasting me. She hit me about three times before I gained my composure. I dodged her attacks with the help of teleportation, and I ended up on top of a tall case behind her. I took this as a chance to take her by surprise. As she was oblivious to the thought that I was behind her, I kicked her in the back and she crashed into a few cases of Xenothium.

_One brat down, four to go, _I sighed inwardly.

The empath tried surrounding me in her black magic, but I was quick and moved out of her range every time she tried. Her violet eyes seemed to spark with anger every time I dodged her black magic. I quickly bolted up a stairway-like path that the crates made, hoping to get out of the Titans' reach. As I reached for one of the cases, a blue laser shot at me from below. I nearly staggered off the edge of the crate as I jerked backwards. I regained my composure and glanced over at the cyborg who attempted to shoot me. Sneering at him, I easily tossed him and his shadow out the double sliding doors.

_Two down, three to go, _I reminded myself.

The chick with the flaming red hair started to shoot her hand lasers at me. When her arm was in my reach, I grasped her wrist tightly and kicked her across the room. She crashed into the wall , but quickly recovered. Her eyes glowed bright green and she let out a yell as she shot her laser vision at me. I ducked at the last second, and jumped at her in midair. Her eyes widened in surprise as I grabbed her by the shoulders. She tried to throw me off of her, but I got a few good punches in on her face. She finally managed to throw me off, and I landed in one of the large crates. I groaned as I made impact, but brought myself to my feet soon enough. The girl with the red hair was still floating in the air, but I could tell she was tired. If I could just smash her into a wall or something...

I manipulated her shadow, causing her to go flying back into the wall like she did before. She crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

"Starfire!" their leader yelled. Now it was between me, him and the green shapeshifter who I did not like one bit.

The changeling didn't hesitate to attack because he shifted into a grizzly bear and knocked me over. I fell on my side, and nearly had a heart attack when the shapeshifter slapped me across the room with his giant green paw. I crashed into the wall, but pulled myself to my feet before he could attack me again. The changeling charged at me, but just as he was about to make contact, I leaped over him and landed behind him. His head rammed into the wall with a sickening _thud. _I took this opportunity to manipulate his shadow. His figure flew through the broken sliding doors and that left me with their leader staring cautiously at me.

"Just you and me, huh?" I smirked at him as he pulled something from his belt. It was a small silver shaft that extended at the press of a button.

"Yeah, looks like it," he smirked back as he leaped at me. The leader swung the staff over his head, and I jumped to the side before he could bash my skull in. He landed on top of a crate and swung his head to look at me. I teleported behind him and snatched his staff. He whipped around just in time to see me throw it across the room.

"Hand to hand?" I asked him in a mockingly polite tone. He snarled at me as he threw a punch at my face. I ducked under his arm and swept his legs out from under him. The leader landed on his back, but back flipped onto his feet again. I scowled as I spun and kicked him across the face. I was a bit too slow, because he grabbed my ankle and slammed me into the ground. I pulled myself to my feet and threw punches at his torso. As soon as he was unbalanced, I kicked him in the chest, causing him to topple over.

While he was down, I teleported on top of the open crate and reached for a case of Xenothium. Red, green and yellow flashed from the corner of my eye, and the leader was back on his feet. Before he could reach me, I teleported the hell out of there.

There I stood in my warehouse, my head barely throbbing. I held the case and smirked. "Look what I got."

Red X turned around to face me, the whites of his mask widening. "Wow...to be honest, I didn't think you'd be able to get it."

"Seriously?" I punched him in the arm. Red X tried grabbing the handle, but I held it behind me. "Nuh uh. Payment first, hot shot."

"Alright, put the case down and close your eyes," I didn't like where this was going. "I promise I won't take the case."

I slowly put the case down, closed my eyes and placed my hands on my hips. I heard Red X shuffle a bit, and he lifted my veil from my face. I was going to ask what the hell he was trying to do, when his lips crashed against mine. I was just about to pull back when his arms snaked around my waist and pulled me closer. He then pulled back, his mask just above his lips. Red X didn't loosen his grip, but he leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Was that good enough for you, toots?"

He smirked before he pulled his mask over his lips. My face burned and I avoided looking at him. "I-I'll let it s-slide," I managed to mumble.

* * *

**Author's Note~**

**And that's all she wrote, folks! I hope you guys enjoyed this. I want to thank everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed! It really puts a smile on my face.**

**Thanks, as always, for reading!**

**~Xelaric the Nobody**


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